On the 2022 Pittsburgh Professional, reigning Olympia 212 champion Derek Lunsford confirmed as much as visitor pose alongside 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, 2021 Arnold Traditional Champion Nick Walker, and 2021 Olympia 4th place finisher Hunter Labrada. By the top of that presentation, Lunsford had turn out to be the subject of dialog as a result of he seemed like he might compete within the males’s open quickly. There had at all times been speak about him making the leap sometime. Might it’s ahead of we expect?
Dennis James gathered a panel of bodybuilding greats to debate that very matter on a current episode of The Menace Podcast. Lee Priest, Chris Cormier, and Milos Sarcev all chimed in with their opinions.
“I feel that if Derek drops right down to 230 or 235, he’s deadly within the open,” James mentioned. Lunsford was reported to be within the neighborhood of 260 kilos on the visitor posing. “He would actually battle with all people – William (Bonac), Hadi (Choopan), Brandon (Curry), and whoever else is there for that title.”
Lunsford’s form is what caught out to Cormier, who knew a factor or two about symmetry,
“His taper is so good,” mentioned Cormier. “This man has that taper and that form, and so they noticed it from when he turned professional on the USA (in 2017). He might be the most effective if he does every thing proper.”
Priest is aware of all too nicely what it’s wish to be a smaller man within the lineup, and he beat many larger athletes in his profession. He feels Lunsford ought to make the leap as a result of it will be a brand new problem for the Indiana native.
“He’s gained the 212, go into the open like all of us mentioned, he’ll be within the high. If he is available in conditioned with that measurement, we’ve seen Bonac rise up within the high,” he mentioned, evaluating Lunsford to the two-time Arnold Traditional winner.
As for Sarcev, he made it unanimous by agreeing with the remainder of the old-school panel. Nevertheless, he identified that there’s one lacking element to the fantasy reserving of Lunsford within the Mr. Olympia combine,
“He isn’t certified,” he mentioned. That also means he must do a present earlier than.” Sarcev additionally mentioned that ought to Lunsford enter an open present, he would seemingly qualify for the Olympia anyway.
2020 Olympia 212 winner Shaun Clarida and fellow 212 competitor Angel Calderon are each certified for the Olympia open and 212. If Lunsford had been so as to add his title to that record, the 2022 Olympia could be much more intriguing than it’s already.
Try the complete episode of TMP to listen to the panel focus on extra about Lunsford, Nick Walker, and extra. All episodes air each week over on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel.
